About Me

Wife to a wonderful husband and mom to a beautiful daughter.
Our daughter is 14 years old, in 8th grade, and has been homeschooled from the start.
I write reviews, host giveaways, and enjoy homeschool life!

Homeschool Blogs I ♥

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Disclosure

To be in compliance with the recent FTC ruling that bloggers need to disclose if they are being paid or compensated for their posts, the following is my disclosure policy:

Our Homeschool Reviews is a blog written by me, Christine. Its sole purpose is to share homeschooling products and ideas with you.

Our Homeschool Reviews does accept and keep free products from companies and organizations. That being said, I will not be influenced by any form of compensation. I will always write my honest opinions and experiences.

Our Homeschool Reviews has several links to various stores. Some of these links are affiliate links. That means that if you click on them and purchase something using that link I get a *small* percentage of the sale. You do not have to click on them, but you are more than welcome to {and thank you if you do}.

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Friday, February 28, 2014

Last month Platefull Co-op and Target sent me a whole box of goodies so I could create My Target Breakfast Twist. Of course, Funny Bunny loves all that was included and she started right away making some creations!

I used up the whole container of Quaker Oats by making oatmeal every other morning for myself and of course Funny Bunny made a couple Nutella sandwiches for herself. None of what we came up with looked as good as this though!

You can find that delicious looking recipe along with several others at Target!

Tuesday, February 25, 2014

Funny Bunny was excited to receive a new book in the mail to review. Last week she received Riley Mae and the Rock Shocker Trek by Jill Osborne.

Riley Mae and the Rock Shocker Trek is part of the FaithGirlz collection of books and is the first book in The Good News Shoes series.

Review by Funny Bunny

Riley Mae and the Rock Shocker Trek by Jill Osborne is about a 7th grade girl named Riley Mae, who loves sports (especially softball), her best friend TJ, her home in Fresno, California, and her awesome collection of shoes that she has gotten for free. How did she get them for free? She’s actually the spokesgirl for Swiftriver’s Riley Mae shoes collection.

When Riley Mae Hart visits her dad’s office one day and finds some awesome sport shoes, she’s 'out of the park' about them. When Swiftriver (the company that makes the shoes) offers to name the shoe collection after her, plus give her a contract to become their spokesgirl, her parents are doubtful. After seeing her enthusiasm though, they reluctantly agree.

But it’s not all fun for Riley, as the Saturday photo shoots clash with softball tryouts and games. When her parents tell her that she doesn’t have time for softball this year, she protests. And she starts to get suspicious of Swiftriver – they have only been around for 3 years and already own a private jet, their prices are sky-high, and they want her to hike the Half-Dome in Yosemite – but they can’t let her out of her contract. Worst of all, all this is making TJ upset with her, her new friend Rusty embarrassed, and she’s starting to dislike those Riley Mae shoes.

With some Rock Shocker hiking shoes, her fellow Swiftriver staff, and some extreme faith in God, will Riley be able to fix her friendship with TJ, figure out what’s going on at Swiftriver, and make it up the Half-Dome – and back down again?

I really think that Riley Mae and the Rock Shocker Trek was a super-exciting book (I read it all in one night!). It has lots of action, adventure, fun, humor, and suspenseful chapter endings. I really enjoyed it, and I think it had a lot of cool God moments in it. I don’t have a favorite part of the book – it was all great! I love it and I (still!) can’t put it down. It’s that awesome!

Find Out More: You can find out more online at Zondervan. Riley Mae and the Rock Shocker Trek is available in paperback and just $7.99.

We are constantly using technology throughout our homeschool day. When you think about it, it's really hard to get through the day without it. Below are just a few of the resources we use day to day.

Computer - I don't know what I would do without my computer! It's a lifeline to my friends and with that comes encouragement and help. And I can't count how many worksheets, forms, documents, planning pages, and crafts I've created with it over the years. Funny Bunny uses it to write stories and reports, and as she gets older, I'm sure she'll be using it for online classes as well.

Printer - As much as I hate wasting paper and ink, I absolutely need my printer! We have a love hate relationship. ;)

High Speed Internet - This is a must! I just do too much online to not have it.

Netflix - Last year we decided to cancel our Direct TV and get only our local channels and Netflix. We LOVE Netflix!! There are many educational movies on there and you could probably find something to go along with any topic you are learning.

Amazon Prime - We don't have Amazon Prime at the moment but I've thought of getting it for the instant streaming of movies and TV episodes. Plus, there are over 350,000 Kindle titles to borrow for free. Still something we are thinking about.

iPad - We use the iPad all the time for downloading books and educational apps. It's also a great way to sit down and read lessons anywhere in the house. This year we have been able to read Funny Bunny's watercolor instructions in the kitchen while she paints. It's just so convenient.

DVD Player - Got to have this! Over the years some of our curriculum has come with DVDs to watch as the lesson. As Funny Bunny gets older and the subjects get harder, I expect we'll be using more {especially with math}.

CD Player - Funny Bunny has had to use her CD player a lot this year since her curriculum came with an audio CD.

Facebook - Yep, it can be a time waster, but also a lifesaver! I probably spend way too much time on it myself, but I've also made friendships I would have never made otherwise. And we have joined several local groups because of it.

Pinterest - Another probable time waster, but Pinterest has so many ideas!! We have used it for plenty of craft ideas, but it's also been helpful for homeschool ideas too. I really only try to use it when I want to search for a specific topic, otherwise I could be on there all afternoon. Oh, and it's great for menu planning too!

Laminator - I almost hate to admit it, but we have never had a laminator. I don't think I would use it as much now that Funny Bunny is older, but I know I could have put it to good use when she was little. I'm certain this is a must for many homeschool families, so I wanted to add it to our list. And if you are looking for a good one, I've heard great things about the Scotch Thermal Laminator.

Modern Appliances - We don't cook together as much as I would like to, but we could never do the baking we do without modern appliances. I know it seems silly, but a modern kitchen with good working large and small appliances is a necessity!

Sewing Machine - I'm not a sewer but hubby got me one when Funny Bunny was younger. It's sat more than not, but I've used it way more than I thought I would. I never know what it will be used for next, so it's nice to have on hand.

Keurig - I've cut down on the coffee drinking lately, but this has been an invaluable tool for my daily function for the past several years. ;)

What technology do you use for your homeschool? Go here to see the technology others use on the Schoolhouse Review Crew.

Thursday, February 20, 2014

I have friends {you know who you are} ;) that think I'm eating only lettuce and cardboard for this 28-day challenge. And I totally get how some people could think that eating whole, plant-based foods wouldn't be enjoyable. But you have to look beyond the salad!!

So let's talk about what I can eat:

Bread: Whole grain, low fat, low salt bread. I have been purchasing Food for Life bread that's found in the freezer section. It's very hearty and filling and tastes great too.

Cereals: There are some approved brands {and thank goodness for that}! Every other morning I make a big bowl of mixed cereals like Shredded Wheat, Grape Nuts and Oatmeal, mixed with fruit, honey, and other yumminess.

Whole Grain Pasta: I'm still working on finding the best tasting one for our family, but there are several out there. :)

Soups: We love soups over here! We usually add beans and vegetables but with the right mix and seasonings, there are so many varieties.

Salads: And, yes, there are salads. But I make mine large and put pretty much everything I can find in them, including fruit and beans.

Brown Rice: Rice can be used as a side or used to make the meal. My bean burger below is held together with rice.

Whole Grain Flours: You can make a ton of yummy desserts with whole grain flours but still not use any dairy, eggs, or oil!!

And there are a ton more approved foods like dried fruit, certain jellies, sauces, condiments, and even crackers and chips!! So I'm definitely not starving myself, and I'm actually more full than I am just eating a bunch of junk. And I'm making my inside healthier, while losing a little weight too!

If you'd like to get recipes for some of these dishes, visit my Engine 2 Challenge thread for the links. And visit the Engine 2 Diet for more information on the Challenge.